Eli Hester
SOURCE: The Goodspeed Publishing Co., 1889
Contributed by Michael Brown
18 Oct 1998
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SEBASTIAN CO
page 1326
Eli Hester, farmer, of Center Township, Sebastian Co., Ark., is a native of
Randolph County, Ala., born in 1847, and is a son of Tapley and Mahala (Stone)
Hester, who were born in North Carolina and South Carolina, in 1813 and 1814,
respectively. The father is of Irish descent, and after reaching man's estate
went to Randolph County, Ala., where he was married in 1833, and has since
resided. He owns about 400 acres of land, and is one of the prominent old
residents of the county. He did some service during the latter part of the late
war. Eli Hester is the sixth of their eleven children, eight of whom are
living, and was reared on a farm and remained with his parents until he
attained his eighteenth year, when he was married to Mary E. Ware, a daughter
of Thomas C. and Nancy (Lewis) Ware. She was born in Heard County, Ga.,
[p.1326] in 1844, and is the mother of eight children: John Henry, Olie Anna
(deceased), Thomas Luther, Oliver Jackson, Edward Lovie Norman Ezra, Lennie
Elizabeth and Cleveland Thurman. Mr. Hester resided in his native State until
1868, when he immigrated to Georgia, residing there until 1881, when he came
to Sebastian County, Ark., and purchased 160 acres of land about three miles
west of Greenwood, where he is now residing. In 1885 he erected a good frame
residence, at a cost of $1,000, and has increased his lands until he now owns
240 acres. He is one of the solid, substantial and enterprising farmers of the
county, and in his political views has always been a strong Democrat, casting
his first presidential vote for Samuel J. Tilden. He and wife are members of
the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.